Happy day in Newton, NC!

Newton-Conover high has just had new lights installed on the softball field!!!!! That's right, somebody finally listened to the parents on this one. A special thanks to the TB girls(Craze/Screamers/Dazzle) coming up at the high school next season as well as the two (Dazzle 12u)left behind at the middle school.

 

Just remind asr ballthat the poles are to short for their game lol
Ed you have a PM
Ray

 

Glad to hear that another High School in our area has their softball
field with new lights Crazecoach. Hopefully more schools will follow.
I know all the softball fans and players are very happy at
Newton-Conover High School.

 

Crazecoach, thats good news for Newton-Conover. Please share the details on how the lights came into being. It might help others pursue lights on their HS fields.

 

Tell us how you did it.

Congratulations on getting lights. `Who would believe that a state-of-the art school built less that 5 years ago would not put lights on the softball field. The baseball and football fields have all the bells and whistles. The football pressbox even has an elevator. But no lights on the softball field. We had a parent 2 years ago file a title 9 claim. The county got it's wrist slapped - still no lights. My DD graduates in 2008, too late for her. I just hope other DDs will get the chance to play at home under the lights.

BTW - the title nine investigators were concerned about 2 things: Students having to miss class in order to play (while the boys did not) and Parents having to miss work in order to see them play.

I have been reading TBR all summer. Had to add to this one.

 

How it happened......

The parents have worked hard with the boosters and school board for the last three years. Last season we gave them a proposal that if we met them half way on the cost and installation, would they do it? It took two very gracious parents to come up with at least $20,000+ to show them we were not playing around. Then, another parent works for an electric company and volunteered his time and equipment to help. It was hard with travel ball going on for a lot of my former team and parents to work on this project, but they pulled it off. The football team made it to the semifinals, the wrestling team made it to the finals and things kinda snowballed from there. Boosters like winners and "go getters" when it comes to raising money. I don't think we can compete with the Lady Blues when it comes to fundraisers, but we washed a ton of cars and sold many, many doughnuts. I also used a fundraiser sheet I had for the world series and changed the names and what for section and had a parent go to local businesses to see who all would support the school. Hope this helps.

 

Lights

We got lights on our field at South Iredell too. The boys got NEW lights. We were built in 1965.

 

SIFan, share your story with us. What transpired to enable you to get lights?

 

Lights

I am a member of the booster club. I knew back around December that lights were coming, it was approved before I got there. But, I believe there was mention of a lawsuit since the boys had lights and JV softball teams always had to be cut short for darkness. Boys JV didnt get cut short, therefore, we have an issue with equal opportunity. It was not at our school but somewhere else in the county or maybe somewhere else in the state. We have been having a lot of work done, new track and landscaping and improvements to the football field(fence and retaining wall) as well as new lights for baseball and softball fields. The baseball field had lights but the poles were wooden and would really blow around in the wind, they must have been ancient since we were built in 1965. Our booster club does a lot with matching funds from the county. All of the Iredell county schools are also getting clubhouses. That's already in the works. We will have to put money into them put we will get the basic building. We will be adding a weight room and outfitting it.